


You're on my heart just like a tattoo

by unburnttkhaleesi



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Again, F/F, and SMUT, and some shittiness from eddie, but an au tattoo shop, dani has her head over heals in seconds, heck yeah, its an AU, jamie has some trust issuses, theres some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:09:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27393262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unburnttkhaleesi/pseuds/unburnttkhaleesi
Summary: “So do you hate me or something?” She demands, arms crossed and foot tapping.Owen doesn’t look up from his work, but the man he is working on gives a chuckle. The village knows Jamie to be this scrappy thing, not taking shit from even the biggest, burliest of man. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He muses.Jamie’s nostrils flair. “Eight fuckin’ hours for a first-time tattoo, are you serious?”
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 12
Kudos: 488





	You're on my heart just like a tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> It's a cheesy romantic Dani x Jamie Tattoo shop au, what else do you expect from me?  
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and thank you all so much for reading!

Owen told her about the eight-hour appointment she had today. A woman, Danielle Clayton, first tattoo. Jamie sighed as she looked down at the black appointment book, sending a glare towards Owen who was already working on a client’s sleave. Knowing first timers, it was probably something cliché. An infinity symbol with ‘live, laugh, love.’ Written around it, a zodiac sign, a dandelion with the seeds blowing in the wind. She was confused though about the whole eight-hour thing, it was going to eat up her tips and maybe this woman overshot with her detail, or maybe she couldn’t handle the pain. So, Jamie being Jamie, she storms up towards her co-worker with annoyance.

“So do you hate me or something?” She demands, arms crossed and foot tapping.

Owen doesn’t look up from his work, but the man he is working on gives a chuckle. The village knows Jamie to be this scrappy thing, not taking shit from even the biggest, burliest of man. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He muses.

Jamie’s nostrils flair. “Eight fuckin’ hours for a first-time tattoo, are you serious?”

“Oh,” Owen looks up. “Yeah that, you see this woman came in yesterday while you were on break.”

“Yeah, this pretty little blonde piece that had an ass like-” The man Owen had been working on chimes in.

Owen gives the man a look and continues. “As I was saying, this woman walks in yesterday and I’m thinking, oh here we go- got to bust out the little stencils, maybe she wants the feather tattoo that says freedom- but I miss judged.” He explains, the needle still buzzing. “She shows me her design and it just blew me out of the park, and I knew that one, I was not capable of that and two- she just maybe Jamie’s type.”

“Owen” Jamie warns between clenched teeth.

Owen smirks and shakes his head. “Really, Jamie, I think you’ll be impressed, I knew I was.” As if on cue, the bell to the shop chimes and in walks in exactly what Jeff was talking about. This pretty blonde thing that looked so out of place in the shop. She looked unsure in her light blue jeans tan boots and pastel pink sweater, almost like freakin’ Elle Woods walking into racoon city. “Speak of the devil.” Owen hums and Jamie flips him off as she walks toward the blonde.

“You Danielle Clayton?” Jamie asks, looking at her appointment book.

“Yes um,” She begins, and Jamie looks up, quirking an eyebrow. Wow, an American in Bly, that never happened. “I’m supposed to be seen by someone named Jamie.” She looks nervous, twiddling her thumbs.

“Well you’re talking to her now.”

And the blonde seemingly relaxes, and tension leaves her face. “Oh, oh okay- well I’m-”

“Danielle, yes, it says it right here.”

“Actually, Dani.” She corrects her and Jamie can’t help but smile. “And I have this design for you- now Owen said that you had a talented hand.” A blush creeps up on the blonde woman’s face. “So you can take creative liberties if you want.” She hands over the piece of paper and Jamie is pleasantly surprised. It’s a mural in a sense, a woman’s face hidden amongst peonies, honey suckles, and lilies, snakes attached to the woman’s head wrapping between the flowers and hummingbirds twiddling around. “Medusa?” Jamie doesn’t hide the fact that she’s impressed. “That was totally unexpected. Did you draw this?”

“Yeah, it’s just an outline though. Owen showed me some of your work and I knew you could make my vision a reality.” Dani tells her with confidence. “What do you mean it was unexpected? What did you think I was here for a heart on my pinky?” She teases, eyelashes fluttering

Jamie blinks, did this woman just flirt with her. She looks over at Owen who was working still but had a shit eating grin on his face. “I- uh, yeah. You fit the bill.”

Dani gives her a look over and smiles. “Well, I am full of surprises.”

Jamie takes her to her chair and pulls a privacy curtain around when she finds out that Dani wanted the tattoo below her breast on her ribcage. All she needed was for Jeff to be creepy the whole time “I’m a teacher. I am not sure how happy they’d be if their help had a tattoo sleave.”

Jamie scoffs as she readies her ink, she wanted it in pastels, soft pretty. _Like her,_ Jamie thinks. She looks away as the Dani pulls her sweater over her head. “So, you take up all my time just to cover up my art.”

Dani grins. “I’ll know it’s there and I’m others will when I go on vacation.”

“Holiday,” Jamie corrects, and Dani tilts her head. “If you’re living in England, darling, you have to use the proper terminology.” And Dani laughs, she likes hearing her laugh. “Now we can take breaks through, just let me know if you’re in any pain and we can stop, I’ll get you some water and you can breathe.” She turns on the needle and she watches as Dani shifts. “Are you sure about this?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Jamie has to admit that she feels a little bad when her pen pierces Dani’s smooth, creamy skin. She felt as if she was scribbling all over one of those perfect marble statues in museums. She kind of hates the fact that there is a barrier of gloves between them, she wondered how her skin would feel under her bare fingertips. “So,” Jamie drawls out, starting a conversation to keep Dani centered, but also to feed her curiosity. “Why this tattoo? What is the symbolism behind it? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Dani lifts her head from the head rest and opens her eyes, expelling a shaky breath. She was so glad Jamie started talking, she needed the distraction. “I always wanted a tattoo,” She begins. “But I always wanted it to mean something and not be some trend that I was going to regret. So I promised myself to wait for the right time and when I got it, I looked into what I would want. I always liked mythology Medusa’s story, as sad and painful as it was, always hit a chord with me. I mean what happened to her- some people say that Athena cursed her, you know because she was mad about what happened in her temple. But, I agree with the minority of people.”

“And what’s that?” Jamie asks, looking up from her work if only for a moment to catch Dani’s gaze.

“That she gave her a gift so no man would hurt her again. Its why women weren’t able to enter the temple where she dwelled, she didn’t want to hurt them. Medusa is a symbol. She is meant to guide women through their terrors, through the depths of their anger and into the sources of our power as a woman.” Dani explains and Jamie gives a nod, looking impressed again.

“You did your research.” Jamie comments. “Now, do you know what your flower choices means, or the hummingbirds?” At this point, Jamie shouldn’t be shocked as this girl continues to impress her with her knowledge behind the symbolism of her tattoo. She knows her stuff which is more than she could say about most people. “So, what is the reason behind it? I mean there has to be reason behind your symbolism, right?” Jamie gauges the blonde’s reaction, hoping she didn’t push too far and is about to take it back when she speaks.

“I was in a messy situation back home in the states, she explains. I lived in a midwestern state where god is above everything, red is always right and- where you could be substantially punished if you didn’t fit that cookie cutter, June Cleaver, stay at home mom with two or three kids role.” Dani explains, pausing to collect herself. She talks, Jamie thinks, to distract herself from the pain. “I just- I couldn’t take it anymore, my fake life- my fake relationship, being something that I wasn’t so, I ran and ended up here.” She tells her. “It’s not so bad, I landed a teaching job at the local primary school. I was told back home that I would never teach again.”

Jamie is silent as she listens, picking up the pain and betrayal in Dani’s voice, there was anger though mixed in it. Whatever happened to her, well it must have really messed with her. “Well, Bly is lucky to have you. We take in the drifters and the hopeless and this little beauty right here,” She motions to her work. “Will be the start of it.” Jamie wants to know more, what exactly she did to make her own hometown turn on her. This woman was pure as freshly fallen snow, with a radiant smile that could light up any room. She caught her, every once and a while watching her intently. Her pretty blue hues weren’t on the work of art that Jamie was currently creating on her skin, but on her- Jamie Greene of all people and when Jamie would meet her gaze, the lightest shade of pink stained her cheeks and she would give her a shy smile as she kept on with her conversation. They talked about random things, music, movies, tv shows and when they are about an hour in, Jamie takes a break, offering Dani to come with her outside if she wanted and Jamie offers her one of her prized soft flannels since she was sure the material of Dani’s sweater would aggravate the skin that she had been working on.

Jamie decides right there that she likes the way the blonde American woman looks in her clothes, it fits her, and Dani doesn’t seem to mind it, even comments how soft and comfortable it is and threatens to steal it.

They sit outside the shop; Jamie lights up a cigarette and offers it to Dani who surprisingly takes it. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Jamie comments and Dani shrugs.

“It’s more of a social thing.” The other woman says, methodically taking a drag, tapping the ash and blowing a billow of smoke from her perfectly plump lips that Jamie caught herself staring at. “So, what got you into being a tattoo artist? I mean I saw some of your work yesterday, it was breathtaking.” Dani asks when she hands her back her cigarette. “Owen mentioned that you both own the shop.”

Jamie gives a simple shrug because she doesn’t want to scare this woman off. She doesn’t want to tell her about the foster care and the perverted men, she doesn’t want to tell her about her times in London, how a woman had a sixteen year old her peddling drugs on the streets, she doesn’t want her to know about the theft or her prison time. It was prison where she made herself better though, where she fell in love with gardening, where it renewed her dreams of becoming an artist. She figured though, if this spark of an attraction between them was worth something, she’d tell her- someday. So, she goes with the simplified version just to quell her curiosity. “I always loved to draw as a kid.” She begins. “My family, we didn’t have enough money for the newest gaming systems or the toy fad that was going around, so I would busy myself with a box of crayons and notebook paper. My fourth-year teacher, who I think just felt piety for me, is the one who told me that I had a talent and bought me a sketch book and pencils. It distracted me form the world and I filled that thing to the brim, got some how to draw books from the library and taught myself really. Few more of my art teachers said that I should become an artist, hell,” She takes a long drag and pauses. “Even thought about going across the pond to study in New York City, but, instead, I went to London, failed in London, got my shit together and came here.” She shares Dani’s contagious smile. “And met that asshat,” She gestures towards Owen who had just came outside himself. “And opened up this shop, haven’t looked back since.”

“Um excuse me, but you forgot to add a charming before asshat.” Owen points out, brows raising towards Jamie when he picked up the way Dani was looking at her. “How is the tattoo coming along?”

If Jamie didn’t know any better, she’d say that the blonde woman was currently entranced with her because Owen had to clear his throat to get her attention. She blinks her stary eyes and looks over at Owen who repeats his smile, shit eating grin on his face yet again. “Oh well Jamie is amazing,” She almost gushes. “Really good with her hands, it’s really becoming a work of art.”

“Ah yes,” Owen nods his head, ignoring Jamie’s warning look because, well, she said it- not him. “Jamie _is_ really good with her hands. Nimble fingers, that one.”

Jamie mouths a ‘fuck off’ toward Owen who Dani nodding her head enthusiastically. “Oh yeah, she’s really talented.”

It’s Jamie’s glare that gets Owen from saying whatever he had planned to say next, instead coming up something else. “Did Jamie show you some of her tattoos? She has some nice ones, thanks to yours truly.”

“Really?” Dani asks, eyes lighting up. “Can I see them?”

Her face is burning, between Owen’s innuendos that Dani clearly isn’t getting and Dani just being so fucking adorable. She should have known the minute that this woman walked into her shop, she was fucked. “Yeah” She shrugs of her button up she was wearing over her crop top to show her the mural of flowers that covered her shoulder that traveled towards the end of her armpit. “Owen did this one for me when we first opened the shop, he still insists on touching it up every once and a while.” She the turned her head and pointed to the small white lotus flower under her earlobe. “This one was one of my first ones, got in in London. I mean there is more, but I’m not taking my pants off to show you.” She finishes with a laugh and of course, Owen can’t help himself.

“She’ll be singing a different song if you get a few pints in her, Dani.” He teases, making Dani laugh a bit before Jamie stands up and points at the door.

“That’s it, inside!”

“But-”

“Inside.” Jamie almost growls and Owen sighs before relenting and heading into the shop. “Christ, it’s like dealing with a child.” She groans and Dani shrugs.

“More like an annoying older brother.” Dani decides. “It’s obvious he cares a lot about you, I mean at first, I thought you two were-”

“Ah, don’t finish that sentence.” Jamie pleads and shakes her head. “I don’t need to be traumatized today. Besides.,” She puts her cigarette out on her boot. “Besides, Owen is not my type. So, lets get you inside so we can get to work.” Jamie tells her, only hoping that Dani would get where she was coming from.

She gets back to work once Dani is settled in and comfortable. They share a bit of small talk as Jamie works. Now its about their favorite food, drink and even color. It’s weirdly intimate, like she’s known this woman her whole life. They take a few more breaks, Jamie orders lunch for the two of them and they share a pizza with the help of Owen and she and Dani swap stories from their childhood and Jamie marvels on how easy it is to be herself around her. “So teaching,” Jamie begins. “It’s an admirable profession, what made you decide to get into it.”

“Oh, I don’t know, really. I guess I just love working with kids, I did a lot of babysitting and even taught Sunday school back in my hometown and I wanted to make a difference. I think, more like I hope that I make one every day. I take time to listen to each one of my kids if I can, give the ones that need a little extra love attention. My classroom is their safe space, I never really had one as a kid so it’s my goal to make one.” She gushes. “And I just love when you know you have made a difference, if a kiddo is having trouble understanding a concept and you just work and work and work until you see that it clicks and they’ve just become so proud and confident in themselves. I push them, to let them know that they are not their labels, that they can become whoever or whatever they want to as long as they work hard.” Dani sighs. “I love it, and I love that I am able to do it again. The people here, they are so much nicer than back home.”

Jamie smirks, puts on her best posh accent. “We’re British, Darling.” She adds with a flip of her hair and she watches as Dani’s nose crinkles with a laugh, something else of hers that is just so adorable. “But,” She adds, going back towards her rough northern accent. “Yeah, there are good people here. It’s why I settled here. I like it, it’s nice, quiet, boring. My cup of tea.” She meets Dani’s eyes. “And after the craziness I went through, I needed it. The kids though, they’re lucky to have someone as dedicated as you. You’ll make a difference.”

By the sixth hour, Dani’s tattoo is almost finished. She’ll need to come back for some touch up, add more shading, but it stands out beautifully against her creamy skin and by now, Jamie and Dani know a lot about each other and they’re not sick of each other, in fact, Jamie doesn’t want her to leave her just yet. She was about to take a shot in the dark, but Dani beats her to it. “So, I know we’ve spent most of the day together, but I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me to dinner?” Dani wonders and Jamie just gawks while Owen’s head flies up from his chores. It’s obvious that she begins to panic because she quickly tries to take it back, but Jamie doesn’t let her because she’s not crazy.

“Yeah, I would love to get dinner with you.”

When she is finally done, she feels pride as Dani looks at her heard work in wonder and awe. “Wow, Jamie. Its,” She is breathless as she looks at her work of art in the mirror. “It’s perfect, beautiful. Thank you so much.”

“It suits you.” Jamie tells her. “And it was my pleasure, really. It’s not often a pretty woman walks in my shop wanting a complex tattoo that I approve of.”

Dani smiles a soft smile and ducks her head down for a moment, some of her blonde tresses cascading over her face before she looks up at Jamie. There is a glint in her eye, mischievous, flirtatious, she doesn’t know. “You think I’m pretty?”

“I’m a lot of things, but dumb isn’t one of them. Just let me clean up here and we can go get dinner.”

However, Owen doesn’t let her clean up, no. He insists on her leaving because as he says. It’s not everyday that Jamie Greene meets a girl that she fancies. They go to this little hole in the wall of a diner order something simple and Jamie instructs her on how to properly care for her tattoo and compliments her on how well she handled the pain in which Dani laughs. “I have thick skin,” She says with a wink. “And like I said to Owen earlier, you are amazing at what you do.”

And Jamie’s breath catches in her throat because of the way Dani is looking at her. She had given Jamie the same look earlier while she was giving her tattoo, a look of desire- adoration maybe. Christ, how long has this woman been repressed? Then it’s the feeling of her leg brushing up against hers, she smirks. Dani isn’t stupid, Dani knows what she’s doing, but part of Jamie, the part of her that doesn’t trust people. She’s had a handful of women in her lifetime that used her, just to experiment with their sexuality. Jamie would give, they would take, and they would leave. What if Dani was no different than them?

But Dani, god, Dani with her perfect face, stunning eyes that Jamie could get lost in and her plump pink lips that were just so damn kissable. She never connected this strongly with someone she just met before, so she lets that be her driving force as she has her pinned up against the wall of Dani’s ‘apartment’ as she would call it, caught up in tangle of limbs as Jamie methodical moves her mouth against hers in a heated kiss. Even if this was going to be for one night, Jamie wanted her to remember so she moves her mouth down her neck, making her mark while Dani’s moans and sighs. It’s music to her ears and it stirs her, even more so when the blonde woman tangles her delicate fingers into her hair and whispers. “Fuck, Jamie.” While grinding herself into Jamie’s thigh. “Bedroom.”

It’s a mess of clothes and almost tumbling to the floor twice as they make their way back into Dani’s room and Jamie is left in nothing but her jeans and bra as she unclasp Dani’s, being extra careful about her still sensitive skin where her new tattoo laid. She palms her bare breasts, brushing her thumbs over her rose nipples and Dani whines her name again arching into her hands, making that rolling heat inside Jamie boil even hotter. She’s about to turn them around, lay Dani onto the bed when the other woman shocks her by taking the lead, laying Jamie down and climbing on top of her, straddling her waist. 

Jamie looks up at her, the peaceful blue of her eyes almost gone with her blown pupils, hazy with lust. She leans down and kisses her again flicks the tip of her tongue out, playfully, teasingly and smiles into the kiss. “I think.” Her breath hot against her lips. “That you are way too overdressed.” And Dani pulls back to allow Jamie to assess the situation and yes, it seems that the teacher was right. Dani had nothing left but her underwear, the only thing separating Jamie from what she wants most to feel that wet heat clenching around her fingers- fuck. She gets distracted from that thought but is brought back with Dani’s working at her bra, mumbling curse words under her breath about how it shouldn’t be that hard and then a proud smile when she manages to get it off. Her eyes widen and she licks her lips at the sight of her and Jamie laughs.

“What are you?” Jamie teases. “A teenager that just saw his first pair of boobs?”

Dani shakes her head, unconsciously rolls her hips and clears her throat. “No, I- uh.” Her voice had been knocked down an octave. “You’re just so beautiful, Jamie.”

Before Jamie can even respond, Dani’s lips are on her skin again. Behind her ear, down the column of her neck nipping and soothing a path down towards her breasts and Jamie finds herself confused with herself, because she isn’t the type to let someone else take the lead, but here she was. She blamed her curiosity really. However, all thoughts go out the window when Dani’s tongue circles her nipple and sucks the bud into her mouth. She kisses down her stomach towards her belly button and Jamie’s head jerks up when she felt the button of her jeans pop open. “Dani,” She struggles to breath. “You don’t have to.”

She shakes her head and tugs. “I want to.” She whispers sincerely and Jamie feels dizzy as she lifts her hips and allows Dani to pull down her jeans and underwear. For a moment, she wonders if Dani has decided against it, maybe got it in her head that this wasn’t worth it. But then the blonde kisses along her inner thigh and Jamie pushes herself up onto her elbows to watch as she gets closer and closer until she is on her. Jamie sucks in a deep breath, her hands clenching at the sheets as Dani flicks her tongue out, circling around her opening before she finds her clit. She teases it a bit, making Jamie whimper and moan before she brings it into her mouth. Jamie knew she wasn’t going to last long, not with this woman between her legs working wonders with her mouth. Suddenly a finger is inside of her and Jamie releases the sheets, threading her fingers through her silky blonde hair while Dani adds a second finger, thrusting at a slow past. She looks down at her again, her eyes going wide when she noticed the blonde desperately grinding into the heel of her foot. “Jesus fucking Christ.” Jamie moans. “Dani,” she’ll be the fucking end of her.

Her orgasm hits her like a ton of bricks, and she warns Dani, but the other woman had other plans and works her through her orgasm, until her spasms end and she becomes to sensitive. Jamie pulls her back up and kisses her. It’s like fire, full of passion and Jamie hums when she tastes herself on her plump lips. Dani giggles when she pulls away, face flush, pupils blown and is about to settle down into Jamie’s side when Jamie flips them. “If you think I’m done with you, you’ve got another thing coming.” The way Dani looks up at her, with nothing but trust and want in her eyes makes her heart flutter. She so desperately wants to taste her, feel her cum around her and that is how Dani comes, hard and fast, riding Jamie’s tongue while her fingers her fingers swirl at her clit. When Jamie comes up for air, she takes in the sight of her, her whole body is covered in a blush, still shaking and breathing hard. Jamie braces her hands on either side of her face and her breath catches in her throat when Dani turns her head and sucks one of her fingers into her mouth. “Christ, woman.” Jamie breathes. “Are you trying to kill me?”

Dani hums out a laugh as she lets go of her finger, leaning up to capture her lips in a kiss. “No,” She shakes her head, a playful smile on her face. “Just trying to figure out when we can go again.”

Jamie gives her a breath of a laugh. “Give me a few minutes, Poppins, then we can go again.”

The next morning Jamie wakes up feeling refreshed, renewed in a sense with a bit of hope in her system. Maybe it was to early to judge, but maybe this could be something. However, when she turns around, she sees that the woman that was just holding her last night was gone. Of course. She looks for the note, telling her to lock up, but finds nothing. Wow, class act. She dresses and leaves the bedroom to find that she was wrong. In the kitchen was Dani, making breakfast in nothing but a pair of heavy socks and Jamie’s oversized flannel. Jamie clears her throat, causing the other woman to turn around and beam at her. “Good morning!” She chirps. “I’m sorry I didn’t wake you.” Dani apologizes. “You just looked so peaceful and I was going to surprise you with breakfast but-” She stops, looking her up and down. “Oh,” Dani’s voice goes small. “Do you have somewhere to be?”

“No,” Jamie blinks. “No, I just thought- you left for work.” She somewhat lies and Dani grins.

“Plus side about being a teacher, no work on Saturdays.” She hums and then turns back around to what she was cooking. “But, since you’re up, would you mind making tea? I’ve been told that I am terrible at it.”

Jamie can’t believe it, she wants to pinch herself because this has never happened. Morning after weren’t a thing in her world. Not because she didn’t want it, but because she was never allowed to have it. So, she walks over towards the blonde woman, wrapping her arms around her from behind and kissing her exposed shoulder. She has a certain glow this morning, Jamie’s actually sure they both do and Dani giggles, turning her head just slightly to catch her lips in a kiss. “How’s your side?” Jamie asks as she pulls away from her side, taking in the smell of chocolate chip pancakes and maple bacon frying up.

“It hurts a little.” Dani tells her, not a hint of complaining in her voice. “Nothing that a bit of Tylenol can fix, but it’s a work of art, like that one on your thigh. Seems like we have something in common. Flowers and snakes?” Dani asks and Jamie smiles against her skin. “But can we also talk about the one on your hip? A pot leaf? Really?” Dani teases and Jamie laughs. “I mean nothing against it, believe me, I would be judging myself, but why does it look like a dancing cartoon character?”

Jamie pulls away, smiling as Dani whines about the loss of contact. “I’ll have you know that it was my first tattoo and I am extremely proud of it. But I am a bit more shocked that this perfect all-American girl has smoked the devil’s lettuce.”

Dani shrugs. “Guess I am full of them.”

“Guess you are.” Jamie agrees, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before she starts the tea. “And don’t worry about the tea thing, I’ll teach you.”

They fall into a relationship pretty quickly. Owen freaks out when he sees them walking into the shop hand in hand and bombardes Jamie with questions. He’s happy for them, he’s happy for her because he was right, she deserved to be happy. They spend a lot of time at each other’s place, Jamie will sometimes visit Dani while she is on break with a cup of coffee and steals a quick kiss and Dani shows up at the shop so Jamie can finish up her tattoo with homemade dinner. At night, when Jamie isn’t laying in her arms as they watch something on Netflix, she is mapping out Dani’s body, finding what makes her unravel in her arms. For three months they’re good, for three months they are more than good- they are perfect.

However, with everything in Jamie’s life that good comes with a bump in the road. Mainly an American man that shows up at her shop one day. It was a Saturday afternoon, mid-november and Dani visits her leans over the counter and kisses her. They go off together to get lunch and bring something back for Owen and when they get back, walking into the shop, hands laced together is when they see him.

Dani freezes like a deer in headlights and the man with round glasses and messy black hair perks up. Jamie looks over at her girlfriend, confused because she had never seen Dani this scared before. She’s tense and refuses to move, only muttering a ‘fuck no’ under her breath, loud enough for Jamie to hear.

“Danielle!” The man exclaims happily. “Oh, thank god, I’ve been looking all over for you! I was so worried; you can’t just go running off like that! If it wasn’t for your mom then, well gosh Danielle,” He rushes over and is about to pull Dani into a hug when Jamie stops him, putting a gentle hand on his chest.

“I don’t think she wants you to touch her mate.” Jamie says slowly and carefully. She catches Owen who is standing up, putting his pen down and rolling up his sleeves.

This guy, whoever he is in his cheesy sweater vest and khaki pants looks bewildered and then catches sight of Dani’s hand securely snug in her own. “And who are you?” He tries to sound tough, but it comes out more in a squeak.

“I-”

“My girlfriend.” Dani speaks up, causing this man’s mouth to gape open and Jamie smiles proudly. “This is Jamie, and she is my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend,” He scoffs. “Dani- seriously? I thought you were just confused. There is no way that you’re- we were together for fifteen years.”

Jamie wants to knock him into next week for that comment, but Dani- dear sweet Dani is handling it and handling it well. “I’m not confused.” She speaks to him as if she were speaking to one of her students, to make him understand. “I told you the night we broke up that I’ve been like this all my life, even the fifteen years we were together, I felt like this. I’m gay, Eddie and you and your church back home can’t fix me because there is nothing to fix.” She turns to Jamie, hand still in hers and uses her free hand to rub her arm. “I am who I am, and god am I proud of it and those years we were together? I was repressing myself and now for the first time in my life, I am free. We’re broken up, Eddie. I made that clear that night in the car. It stinks you came all this way across the ocean just to get me back when you can’t. I’m with Jamie now and I love her.”

Jamie blinks a little shocked but mostly proud. She didn’t expect a declaration of love like that, well she was planning to tell her anyway. She watches this man, this Eddie. He looks pissed, enough to blow his top, but he doesn’t. He looks hurt, confused and honestly like he had never in his life been told that he couldn’t have something. “Life isn’t one of your movies, Eddie.” Dani gently tells him. “And as soon as you let me go, you can find someone else.”

He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it and rubs his temples. “Danielle, do you know how disappointed your mother is.”

“Who Karen?” Jamie suddenly cuts in. “We facetime her every night, that woman’s a gem and she loves me.” Jamie shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know what kind of mental manipulation, gas lighting shit your trying, but it’s not working. Karen is even coming here for Christmas.”

Now poor Eddie looks like he is trying to pull every tool out of his belt but seems to have nothing to use against Dani. “Dani,” he tries one last time. “We were engaged.”

“Eddie, it was a mistake. You’re still upset, okay then get counseling. Just go home, go home and forget about me.” Dani commands him and he is about to say something again when Jamie straightens, Owen clears his throat and Jeff yells from the chair ‘what is this fucker’s problem?’

“You know what, fine. Fine, Dani. Enjoy your life.” He sneers. “I’m sure Shirley Mason will enjoy me.”

“Oh Shirley?” Dani brightly asks as he goes to leave. “Tell her I said hi.”

The door slams shut leaving the four of them in a state of shock before laughter ensues. Jamie pulls Dani to the side. “You’ll stay at my place tonight; we need to talk.”

That night they order in and Dani tells her everything. From her quote on quote romance from Eddie, her figuring out she was gay in seventh grade, her trying to put up with Eddie so maybe she’d just feel the way she was supposed to feel. She told Jamie how suffocated she felt, how much harm repressing herself was doing to her mental health and how when she came out to Eddie and broke off their engagement, all hell broke loose. How she was fired from her teaching job because the parents who once loved and cared for her when they believed her to be straight said she would poison the minds of their children. She tells her about her friends that she knew since childhood that wanted nothing to do with her and it all comes out and Jamie is there, listening and Jamie figures three months and Dani still hasn’t left so she tells her everything.

She tells her about her mom, dad and brothers, she tells her about her mom leaving and how she practically had to raise Mikey. She tells her about social services, about being split up. She tells Dani about the leering eyes and wandering hands of the foster fathers and she tells her about London about the trouble she got into and her time on the inside. Dani listens to her, with tearful eyes and leans in when she finishes to kiss her. “You know, I meant what I said to Eddie.” They’re nose to nose. “I love you.”

Now Jamie Greene, good ol’ tough Jamie Greene has tears in her eyes and gives off a wet laugh. “God, Dani. I love you too.”

That night, she asks Dani to move in with her which Dani agrees to happily. They pack up Dani’s things and move her into Jamie’s small home, and Jamie loves it. She loves coming home to see Dani at the kitchen table grading papers with glasses hanging off her nose, she loves it when they cook dinner together. Well, Dani cooks while Jamie helps in any matter she can. She enjoys how they cuddle up on the sofa and watch a movie, bundled up in blankets as their Christmas tree shimmers in the corner.

Most of all, Jamie loves the feeling of a family. She’s nervous when Karen Clayton arrives, but is so pleased when the older woman pulls her into a hug, expressing how overjoyed she is about meeting her.

On Christmas day, Owen and his wife Hannah come over and as they help Dani in the kitchen, Karen sits by the fire with Jamie. “You know, I am so happy that Dani has you.” She sighs happily as she looks into the fire. “I watched her suffer for so many years, my god, I knew she didn’t love Eddie, I knew she was a lesbian. I tried hinting at it, but she never picked up on it until she finally had enough. “She thought I’d be upset with her, even with my shitting parenting, she still didn’t want to disappoint me. But I was so happy that she was free. Then she calls me to tell me that she’s met you and god, I was so thrilled. You are so good for my daughter. I just so hope that you two have a good future together.”

It’s spring when Dani pops the question and she uses one of Jamie’s favorite flowers, a moon flower to propose. Jamie had attempted dinner and was failing when Dani comes in the door with a little vase in her hand. She puts it down on the table and passes it towards Jamie. “How did you get this wee one?” She asks. “You didn’t pluck it from my greenhouse, did you?” She picks it up out of the vase and is surprised to see a Claddagh ring. “Dani?” She feels breathless again. “What-”

Dani steps closer and takes her hands into hers. “Jamie, you’re my best friend and the love of my life and I can’t think of anyone else I would rather spend the rest of my life with. So, will you marry me?”

Jamie jumps into her arms and peppers her with kisses and a thousand yesses.

They marry the following November and as they get their pictures taken, the photographer focus in on the matching tattoos on their arms, a vine of moon flowers trailing up towards their ring fingers.

And Jamie is so ready to be with this woman for the rest of her life.


End file.
